Simonize
by andreakayy
Summary: Cuddy has House watch Rachel for a few minutes... when she sneaks back into his new apartment, she likes what she sees. The three, at the end, enjoy a simple moment together. Heavy on the Huddy : : : R


**Although I get so nervous when I write House's character... I had to do this one. :)  
It's cute enjoy. :) please r&r  
Urhm... I had to edit something that didn't fit. All good now. Might I add, this is AFTER Cuddy and Lucas break up.... so there's no confusion.**

**Simonize.**

It was a sunny December morning, and House and Wilson were finally settled into their new apartment they would be sharing. It was spacious, which was good –considering they both needed their space at times. The living room was filled with boxes. A lonely white suede couch sat in the middle of the room, a coffee table in front of it, and in the corner, the sunlight was pouring through the window, glittering down upon the piano.

House was alone at his new place. He leaned up against the wall with a stress ball in his hand. There was no way he was going to unpack all of those boxes alone. And if it was possible, he was going to try to get Wilson to do it all.

There was a knock at the door. He was expecting someone, and when he realized who was most likely beyond the oak door, a grin crept onto his face, causing his blue eyes to glimmer. Grabbing his cane, he limped over to the door and opened it.

There she was: Cuddy. In her arms was Rachel, clad in a gray cape coat, a purple hat, purple leggings, and a black pair of baby uggs. Cuddy was dressed in rather casual attire, different from what she would be wearing at the hospital. Under her unbuttoned pea coat and beneath her loose pink scarf was a plain white sweater. She wore jeans instead of her usual work attire, pencil skirts. But something stuck out in House's mind... baby.

"You brought Rachel." House stated as Cuddy moved inside. She set her daughter down, and as House shut the door, she began pulling layers of clothing off of her daughter. House watched. Rachel held onto her mother's leg as she stripped her from her coat, sweater, and then hat.

"I did. My babysitter wouldn't answer her phone and the neighbors weren't in. This place is nice... a lot bigger than Wilson's."

"Yeah places without furniture usually look bigger." Rachel fussed and reached up for her mother. She began to whimper.

"Sh –sugar," Cuddy adopted a new substitution swear word to be used around her daughter. "She wants her bottle."

"Then go get it." House said as he moved over towards the couch.

"It's in the car."

"Then go to the car?"

"Okay... here," Cuddy advanced toward him with a wily grin on her lips. He knew something was up, and he knew just what that something was.

"Oh no –"

"I don't feel like putting her coat and everything back on, and you would take forever to limp down to my car." Cuddy handed Rachel over to House. With her mother being right there, Rachel didn't fuss, but she looked at her mother confused.

"Do I look like your babysitter?"

"Like Reyna, my thirty six year old female nanny? Not really. But I'll be fast." And before House could object or say anything further Cuddy was already out the apartment door. In his arms, Rachel began to fuss, whimpering.

"Maa-maa," The eleven month year old would whine. "Maa-maa."

House was at a loss, and he didn't want Rachel to cry. He hated the sound of a baby crying. He gently bounced her in his arms, and that only hushed her cries a tiny bit. Rachel's face was becoming red. House did the first thing that came to his mind. Forgetting his cane, he limped over to the piano in a hurry. Rachel continued to cry as he sat down on the shiny black piano bench.

It was only when House laid a finger on the A key she stopped crying and looked in awe at the piano, trying to understand how the sound was made. House hit another key, this time the F, and then the B. Rachel's uneasiness was long forgotten as she gave a little giggle and reached her small chubby hands out to the piano. House, with Rachel on his lap scooted forward so she could easily touch the keys. He had to admit he got joy out of Rachel's loud burst of giggles as she herself made sounds with the piano keys. House, who only had one hand available since he was holding Rachel with the other, used his free hand to push down on some keys. As Rachel began smacking the keys with the palms of her hands, House ran a finger along the keys, which Rachel evidently enjoyed.

As they played the piano, Cuddy re-entered. When she heard the piano sounds, she looked up and smiled. She decided to have her reappearance go unnoticed, so she gingerly shut the door. She slowly crept over towards the couch, setting Rachel's diaper bag upon it, and taking a seat.

Rachel, who was still tapping away, let her eyes drift towards the top of the piano where House had set his bright red stress ball. She reached up for it, asking for it in the process.

"Ball," She said, opening and closing her hand as if she were grasping something imaginary.

Just as House figured out what Rachel had wanted, he granted her request. He reached up and placed the ball in her small hands. As he did so, he noticed the small bit of drool on her chin. He assumed it was from teething. With a small sigh, he took the sleeve of his gray thermal shirt and wiped it off. He chuckled, remembering the day Rachel threw up on him. Looking up at him with wide eyes, Rachel raised the ball, showing him.

"Ball," She said.

"Yeah, ball," House repeated, not quite sure how to talk to a baby... he still felt a little awkward. From his peripheral vision he saw movement. Cuddy. He turned. "My peripheral vision must be failing. How long have you been there?"

"Only about a minute or so."

"Take your little monster." House said, turning fully around on the bench. Normally, this would cause Cuddy to narrow her eyes and call him an ass, but not this time. There was something in House's voice that made her understand that he had meant his comment lightheartedly. She smiled slightly. "Can she walk yet?"

"Not yet... only if you hold her hand."

House set Rachel on the floor, and she stood, holding his knee for support. He held out his hand, which Rachel, with no problems, took. He then rose up, and began to limp as Rachel wobbly began to walk.

"Mmm, I think she walks better than you House." Cuddy teased.

"That wasn't nice." He said back, also in a teasing matter.

"Come here sweetheart," Cuddy said softly, giving all her attention to Rachel, adoring her completely. Rachel reached out for her mother and took a step forward before catching her mother's knee.

"You should really get the kid a piano." House said, sitting down on the arm of the couch next to Cuddy and the baby. Cuddy took off Rachel's boots so the couch wouldn't get dirty. Then, she went into Rachel's light pink diaper bag, pulled out a bottle of milk, and then gave it to her daughter.

"Why, when we can just use yours?" Cuddy said as Rachel lay in her arms, drinking the milk. House made a throaty noise, acknowledging her joke. "No, I might. Her birthday's in a week, so maybe then. She really likes music." Cuddy got a thought. "House, will you play something?"

"The kid's nearly asleep now, how will she enjoy it?"

"She can fall asleep to it... then there's me."

"You plan on falling asleep too? Because I need that couch it's my bed for the next two days unless you'd like to change that." Cuddy smiled.

"Just play something."

"Well thanks for having my cripple self walk all the way over here." Cuddy smiled again, watching House limp back over to the piano.

He sat down and began to play. He didn't need a moment to think about what song he would play. He already knew. It began soft, like a serenade. Cuddy, although not able to see his face, understood that House was really into the song. That's one thing other than his intellect that she admired –his passion for music. The beat picked up, and then slowed again, yet the song remained soft. It was beautiful. As the mellifluous music came to an end, Cuddy could no longer hear the suckling from Rachel with her bottle. She was asleep.

House limped over to the couch, gently taking a seat close to Cuddy. She was smiling down at Rachel in her arms. Nothing was heard but the baby's intakes of breath then the exhalation.

"What was that? It was beautiful," Cuddy whispered, still smiling down at her daughter, and then she looked up, House's blue eyes were on her baby as well. He shrugged. "You don't know the name?"

"I wrote it. It doesn't really have a name."

"It was beautiful." Cuddy repeated. Cuddy looked up at him again, seeing him watching Rachel as she had been. "Do you wanna hold her?" She whispered, looking over at him with a hopeful grin.

"So you're asking this time. Improvement." House said gently. His eyes alone told her yes. Gingerly, she shifted her arms, passing her baby over to House carefully. "I didn't say yes." He said softly.

"Yes you did –now, pat her butt lightly she likes th–"

"Like mother like daughter." Cuddy rolled her eyes. She watched him with a grin. He looked like he wasn't breathing. He was afraid to wake her up, possibly because he didn't want baby puke on him again.

"Still afraid of baby puke? Loosen up. She's not at all a light sleeper." He relaxed his shoulders, dropping them, releasing the tension. "You were good with her." He looked up from the baby, locking eyes with Cuddy. He became aware of her close proximity. "You are good with her."

"Yeah, but I'm no Lucas." He added, sarcasm laced in his words.

"Stop it." Cuddy said gently, not fighting, but wanting to tell him she didn't want to talk about Lucas –not then.

"Admit it; you left me with Rachel to see how I would do." He told her sternly.

"What if I did? You didn't refuse."

"Yes I did."

"If you really didn't want to watch her for a few minutes you would've stopped me before I walked out." His eyes were on Rachel again. He was ignoring defeat. Cuddy had won that one. It was silent again. Enjoying the simplicity of the moment, she lowered her head onto House's shoulder, placing a hand on his arm.

He acknowledged her touch with a smile that went unseen by her. He turned and tilted his head, pressing his nose and lips to her hair. Vanilla. Slowly, Cuddy lifted her head up, not to deny House of anything, but because she wanted to see his face... she wanted to feel his lips. His eyes stared into hers and, just like the moment when they kissed in her foyer, her breathing stopped, for her, the whole world stopped. He leaned in, and she leaned in as well, giving each other a simple heartfelt kiss.

She pulled back first. As he opened his eyes, he saw Cuddy open hers, a slight smile playing on her lips. Then, she resumed her position, head resting on his shoulder. He grinned as well, and accepted a small moment of simplicity in his new apartment. Eventually, Cuddy ended up doing what House said not to. She fell asleep.

End.

**so, what did you think? please review... and don't forget the huddy will be back on monday! I have my own opinions on Lucas . .  
Hudddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddy!!!!! :D  
-AK.**


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